silkendreammaid | Bingo Fic - Proposal (Reply)

Title: Foundations Of Liberty
Author: silkendreammaid

Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones. Jack/Ianto
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Torchwood or the characters within.

Note: This is for my longliveianto bingo card prompt ‘Proposal.’ Title taken from ‘Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.’ Henry David Thoreau.
This is part of my ‘verse that began in ‘The Rough Treatment of Stones’ and is the sequel to ‘Lodestone’. and yes I have taken liberties with the timelines...

Author’s Note: It is so late and I should have been in bed hours ago but I just couldn’t stop writing…

Summary: Surviving Twentieth Century Torchwood was a series of proposals for Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones.

Foundations Of Liberty

1869AD

“We have a proposal for you Mr Harkness.”

Alice Guppy sounded so prim and proper. Under other circumstances he might even have thought she actually was the prim and proper nineteenth century Victorian spinster she appeared to be. But Captain Jack Harkness had been stuck in this cell for the last six months and he had become very familiar with her penchant for sadism.

It was only because Ikaite was in the opposite cell that Jack Harkness – once Franklin Slate - had stayed sane. And it was only because Franklin Slate had appeared that had kept Ikaite from descending further into madness and helped him heal from the damage that he had already suffered from.

As far as Jack could figure, Ikaite had suddenly appeared in the middle of this underground base at about the same time as Jack had revived on a far distant Game station. During the six weeks it had taken Jack to get to Cardiff – two spent waiting on the abandoned station for the Doctor to return and the four weeks from Ellis Island – Ikaite had been at the mercy of Alice Guppy and this primitive Torchwood. Unable to speak the language and apparently immortal Alice and her colleagues had taken little care with their prisoner. Jack’s arrival and the thought of two specimens to play with had gone to Alice’s head and the continual experimentation had become out-right torture. But just knowing that they were both there and both alive – most of the time – meant the mental stresses and strains were lighter.

Ikaite had been on the verge of giving up and shutting down completely. Jack’s arrival had changed that. Even as they died, even as they bled and healed, together or separately, over and over again their soul-bond thickened and grew. The faint tug of awareness they had always felt when they’d been apart became a stronger, more sure sense of each other. They felt each other even when dead, even when sleeping. Slate knew that he could now find Ikaite as easily as Ikaite had always found him.

“What do you want?” Jack asked – almost demanded - without rising from his small cot. Being rude-mannered meant ‘you haven’t broken me’ and he had eternity to be rude. He smirked at her. He could see Ikaite in the opposite cell rolling his eyes at him.

Alice ignored his manner. “We want you to work for Torchwood.”

Jack’s eyes went wide and his heart leapt in his chest. He had to force himself to breathe evenly. Anger, hope, fear ran through him in a confused rush and he felt almost light-headed.

“Why?” he asked abruptly.

“Because of your ability to revive from death and to regrow limbs, you would be useful for dealing with some of the more dangerous items that come through the Rift.” Alice spoke coldly and bluntly and Jack wondered how badly she wanted him to agree. He supposed that after six months playing with the immortals was starting to wear a bit thin and it wasn’t as if she could just kill them and be done with it. He shivered at the thought of being buried and left to revive and die over and over again in some tiny coffin, or knowing Alice she’d have them sunk into concrete for eternity. He frowned at her.

“And what’s in it for me? For us?” he asked with a look to Ikaite.

“You get to be free of your cell. And Mr Jones will be surety for your behaviour.” She didn’t need to elaborate and Jack studied the bland expression on Ikaite’s face. He knew Ikaite had understood as well. Jack had taught him enough English that he could follow not only the words but the implications.

“No surprise there,” Jack commented before looking at her consideringly. “Mr Jones is freed from his cell too and we get a room to live in,” Jack told her calmly. Ikaite and he had never hidden how close they were. The nature of their shared immortality made it impossible anyway. At first when one had died the other had been either violently sick or died as well. After a while they had begun relying on their soul-bond to steady themselves, pushing it towards the other, knowing they’d come back and waiting for the burning revival. Now the bond was solidly anchored in the golden flame of every resurrection.

“And if I refuse?”

“Then things remain as they are,” Jack replied easily and lay back on his cot. He heard her leave the cells and he smiled at the ceiling.

“You think she’ll agree?” Ikaite asked in their own language from his cell.

“I think so,” Jack replied.

“I would like to be able to touch you again,” Ikaite said softly as he lay on his own cot.

“I’ll be doing a whole lot more than just touching,” Jack leered at his soul-mate and Ikaite laughed.

“Promises, promises,” Ikaite said, turning his head to watch Jack through the cell glass.

“You’d better believe it. It’s been too long without being able to hold you.” Jack smiled. “Hopefully it’s a soundproofed room they give us. You’re going to need it.”

Ikaite laughed again even as his cheeks went pink. “You sound sure she’ll agree.”

“She’s going to have to if she wants me to work for her. I’m not going to leave you behind me anymore. From now on we will always be together.” Jack’s eyes were so very blue as he stared at Ikaite. “Slate and Ikaite. Harkness and Jones.”

“Harkness and Jones?” Ikaite scoffed lightly even as he smiled. He didn’t much care for the Mr Jones Alice had taken to calling him but neither of them wanted anyone but themselves to use their true names.

“You should speak more English,” Jack said.

Ikaite shrugged. “It is more hard to remember. It is more easier to understand than to speak. I learn but some words are … they have no meaning. I just don’t understand what their meanings are. Contexts are few and far between down here, Slate.”

“Well, if the Guppy agrees and lets us out of here, you’ll be able to get some of those references. I have the feeling we’re going to be stuck here for a long time so we might as well integrate as best we can.” Jack sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Ikaite shook his head. They’d had this discussion a lot in the beginning with Jack blaming himself for Ikaite’s immortality. “Would you rather be here alone?”

Jack let his breath out slowly. The thought of facing eternity without Ikaite was unimaginable as was the thought of being stuck on this backward planet alone for possibly decades. “No.”

“And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere you weren’t.” Ikaite rubbed at the scar on his wrist. “Harkness and Jones.”

Jack smiled and lifted his wrist to touch his matching scar. “Harkness and Jones.”

The door at the passage end clanged open and they remained where they were as Alice Guppy returned.

“You agree to work for us and we will house you in rooms on the level below this. Only you, Mr Harkness, will be allowed to leave this base. Mr Jones will be released from his cell and put to work in the File room. You will both be monitored constantly and Mr Jones will be fitted with a small device which will give him a nasty shock should Mr Harkness decide to do anything stupid.” Alice paused and both men remained silent. “Any indiscretions will be severely punished.”

“I assume we will both be getting paid for working for you,” Jack drawled.

“Paid, Mr Harkness?” Alice queried with a frown.

“Yep, paid. We agree to work for you therefor we should be paid for it and we’re hardly dressed or provisioned for all this work. So unless you intend to provide all our clothing and food we’re going to be staying right here.”

“Two pounds a week. You will clothe and feed yourselves. We will supply some basic furniture but anything else you must pay for yourselves.”

“Two pounds a week each,” Jack demanded, having seen how little the workers at Ellis Island had been paid.

Ikaite watched in silence. Two pounds of whatever passed for money here seemed very little to him after the salaries they’d been on before but Jack seemed to know what he was doing so Ikaite was content to watch and listen.

There was a decided pause before Alice nodded. “Very well. Two pounds a week each.”

“Should we get that in writing?” Ikaite asked and Jack nodded.

“Draw up a contract, Alice, and we have a deal.” He grinned widely at the woman’s black frown. He laughed as she left without saying anything more.

“Goddess, I hate that woman! But at least we’ll be out of these damned cells!”

“We didn’t have much choice but to accept,” Ikaite pointed out.

“They don’t know that though, and now we’ve got a chance to make something of our time here.”

1900AD

Captain Jack Harkness leant against the door jamb and whistled appreciatively at the sight before him. Ianto Jones was clad in a dark grey frock coat over a black waistcoat and trousers. A black tie was smoothly neat around the high stand up collar of his white shirt.

“Looking completely edible, Mr Jones,” he said with his customary leer.

“Noswaith dda to you too, Jack,” Ianto smiled well pleased with the effect of his new outfit. He had become very fond of Victorian dress and Jack often complained that they needed to get another room just for Ianto’s clothes.

“I have an absolutely brilliant idea. Let’s stay in tonight and skip the party,” Jack said as he came close and brushed a light teasing kiss across Ianto’s lips.

“Nice idea, Jack but we did promise to attend,” Ianto grinned at the resultant pout. “It’ll be 1900 in a few hours’ time. How often do you get to see a new century in?”

“The way we are, we’re going to see more than we’d like,” Jack groused and pressed up against his soul-mate.

Ianto laughed softly and wrapped his arms around Jack. “But this will be our first one. We should at least put in an appearance and then we can retire to our room.”

“And you promised Daffyd we’d be there so you can practise your Welsh,” Jack said with a grin.

“Yes,” Ianto smiled. “It’s very similar to my first language and I prefer it to the English. You should learn it too.”

“I’ve picked up enough. Ianto,” Jack smiled as Ianto lightly frowned.

“That’s not quite what I meant,” Ianto rebuked him. After several years he’d given in and had let Jack chose a name for him.

“It’s close enough, cariad,” Jack’s voice slowed, dropping to a whisper.

“Tynfaen,” he murmured against Jack’s lips before kissing him long and lazily.

“We’re never going to get there if you don’t put me down,” Jack said with a laugh a few minutes later.

“And then Albert will complain again and Daffyd will be disappointed,” Ianto added. Jack let his breath out.

“Albert could be a worry. He’s becoming a bit more vocal about us,” Jack said thoughtfully.

Ianto sighed. “I really hate this time’s narrow-minded moral code. We don’t flaunt our bond or our relationship. We…” Ianto paused to frown at Jack. “… well, I take care not to be too flamboyant and we try not to make the others uncomfortable. They already feel awkward around us because of our condition.”

Jack nestled Ianto’s head against his neck. “I know. I’m thinking of telling the Major that we don’t want people to know about us when they join.” Major Robert Hunter had been Alice Guppy’s successor and Jack and Ianto had found life in Torchwood Three more reasonable under his command.

“Do that. The new ones never believe him and always want practical demonstrations. It would be good to stop having to go through that.”

Jack stepped away from Ianto, his brow furrowed. “You know, I think we need to get our contract and make some changes. We’ve played by their rules for thirty years now. It’s time to set out some proposals of our own.”

Ianto took note of the underlying steel in Jack’s voice and nodded. “A new century for a new life,” he said.

“And we’ll start it with me kissing you in front of them all at midnight,” Jack informed him firmly.

1924AD

“Gerald’s proposing to send me to India,” Jack said as he entered their rooms. Ianto looked up from his book with a surprised look. Gerald Carter was the current leader of Torchwood Three.

“Why?”

“There’s a concern with the base out there and he wants someone to check it out,” Jack replied as he flopped down onto their bed.

“In other words, something bad is happening and they want someone expendable to sort it out,” Ianto clarified.

“That’s it,” Jack agreed. His breath puffed out. “After the War and the Night Traveller wild goose chase they promised us a break.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Ianto asked.

“I doubt they’d allow that. They get twitchy when both of us are out of their immediate reach. They made sure we never got to meet up during the War outside of here, remember?”

Ianto nodded. “It’s been twenty four years since we last got our contract redrawn. We should do it again,” he suggested.

“I agree. Make a list up and we’ll take it to them after I get back,” Jack decided and then dropped into their native language. “We’ve been behaving nicely and it shouldn’t be too hard to get what we want. In a dozen or so years I’ll be crossing my own timeline and we need to be able to make sure we don’t end up in the same places.”

Ianto nodded with a pensive frown. Jack had told him of his trip to Earth in the 1940’s. “I am not looking forward to another War,” he remarked. Before getting up from his chair and joining Jack on the bed. They curled into each other with easy familiarity. As always they could feel the soul-bond pulsing between them.

“We’ll survive. We’re always going to survive,” Jack told him.

“I know,” Ianto replied and his voice was tired.

“Love you, cariad,” Jack murmured as he pressed a soft kiss to Ianto’s forehead.

“Love you too, my tynfaen.”

1970AD

The door slammed open and Captain Jack Harkness burst into the archives with a muted roar. Ianto’s eyebrow rose as Jack stormed towards him and punched the closest filing cabinet. Ianto winced at the sound of bones breaking. Jack hit the cabinet again.

“Jack! Enough!” Ianto said firmly and grabbed at Jack’s hand as he began a third punch. “What’s happened?”

“Lucia’s pregnant!” Jack exclaimed angrily.

“Yes?” Ianto frowned.

“Apparently it’s mine,” Jack snapped.

Ianto blinked and his jaw dropped. “But how? You haven’t…”

“Of course I haven’t,” Jack interrupted with a growl and Ianto made a soothing noise in his throat.

“That’s what I was going to say,” Ianto said patiently. “I know you haven’t slept with her, so how is she pregnant?”

“They have our DNA stored, some fancy new tech and they thought they’d experiment with it.” Jack pulled his hand from Ianto’s and began pacing around. “They want to know if our physiology is compatible and if…” Jack trailed off and looked at Ianto.

“And if our immortality is hereditary,” Ianto finished for him. He watched Jack pace for a long moment. “It’s probably rather lucky they didn’t try combining yours and mine,” he said and Jack froze mid-step before a reluctant laugh broke through his anger.

“Oh yes. Because that really would put a cat among the pigeons here,” Jack retorted. He shook his head. “I am never doing that again,” he added lightly.

“Never is a long time,” Ianto remarked pointedly and Jack looked slightly abashed as Ianto continued. “If we ever decided to do that, you don’t have to be the pregnant one. I have that ability too, remember.”

“I know but I won’t ask that of you while we’re stuck here, if we ever do decide to go ahead.” Jack resumed his pacing. “We’ve been here a hundred years now and we’ve gotten complacent. Technology is starting to develop and we’re going to be guinea pigs again. It’s time to drag out the contract and renegotiate.”

“We probably should have done that five years ago,” Ianto said thoughtfully.

“Yes.” Jack stopped pacing and studied his healing hand for a moment. “I didn’t like the way they assumed we’d be okay with handing those kids over.”

“I regret not fighting harder against them.”

“Me too.” Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto. “I think we got chosen was because we’ve let them use us too easily these last couple of decades. Time to make ourselves heard again.”

“Alright,” Ianto nodded. “And what about Lucia?”

“If she carries it to term then I guess we’ll be parents.” Jack rested his head on Ianto’s shoulder. “It’s not quite how I ever figured on becoming a dad though,” he mused as Ianto’s presence calmed him. “Lucia did hint that I should marry her for the baby’s sake. I told her the only one I was ever going to marry was you. This is such a backward planet sometimes,” Jack whined a little and Ianto laughed gently.

“We’re bonded in ways far beyond what marriage here entails,” Ianto said with secure comfort. “It’s all I need, Slate.”

“Likewise, Ikaite.”

2007AD

Captain Jack Harkness leant back in his chair and tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder.

“… I don’t think I’m going to be able to get there this weekend,” he said regretfully. “The Rift’s been working overtime.”

“It’s okay. Yvonne’s talking of putting the Tower into lockdown because of the Ghost Shifts.” Ianto’s voice was clear and smooth in his ear and he leant back further.

“What is with those Shifts anyway?” he asked.

“Who knows.” Jack could almost see the shrug he could hear through Ianto’s tone. “I think they're playing with things they shouldn't and I don’t think anyone here really knows what they’re doing.”

“I don’t like you being there,” Jack said. “I want you back here.”

“Contract time again you think?” Ianto laughed and Jack smiled.

“Perhaps,” Jack agreed. “We did miss out on the millennium turning.” Because Alex murdered everyone and left us behind to clean up the mess Jack didn’t add. Instead Torchwood One had come charging down and taken Ianto as surety while Jack had been left in command of Torchwood Three. For seven years they’d been kept apart except for the occasional weekend when Jack could get to London.

“I’d like to come home,” Ianto said softly. “Lisa’s getting more insistent. She has more trouble than you do with the word no.”

Jack snorted. He’d heard Ianto’s views on the young woman concerned on many occasions these last few months. Someone in London had thought it would be a good idea to give Ianto a girlfriend. Another way to keep him in London. Lisa Hallett had been chosen and was apparently all for the idea no matter how many times Ianto told her he was already committed to Jack.

“Well I have a proposal about that,” Jack said calmly.

“What?” Ianto queried.

“Marry me.”

“What?” Ianto exclaimed.

“Civil partnerships are legal now,” Jack said. “Or we could go to Canada or Europe and get properly married if you prefer, or a civil partnership here in Cardiff. I’ll get it put into our contract. Marry me,” he repeated.

A loud siren suddenly began blaring through the phone and Jack sat up straight grabbing for the phone. “Ianto?”

“Slate! Oh goddess. He's here. He’s here, Slate. The Doctor’s just appeared!”

“Ikaite?” Jack stared at the phone in disbelief and fear as the line went dead.

continued in Upon This Rock

Bingo Fic - Proposal

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